Third Rank Penn Lake Wolves Book Three (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Brandon tried as hard as he could
to feel Maggie through his omega connection. However, with them not mated and
her not being pack, he knew it was a long shot. Alex had got them to the
mainland and told them Greg had intended to take her to the next town. Their
search of Marcus’s home yielded nothing – it looked like it had been empty for
weeks. Brandon’s anger was rising by the minute.
That twisted sick alpha had
to have her holed up somewhere...

As if sensing his pain, Seth put
his hand on Brandon’s shoulder.

‘We will find her,’ he said. ‘She
is going to be okay. You know that, right?’ Seth sounded so sure and strong,
but Brandon didn’t know what to think.

‘I have to believe I didn’t send
her to her death, or worse, at the hands of that man. Every time I see the look
on her face when I told her to leave... I know without a doubt she is my mate,
Seth, but how do I learn to trust her again?’

‘In time,’ replied Seth. ‘Callie
forgave Logan, so maybe you can forgive Maggie? She was forced to live the lie.
It’s not like she did it to hurt you. Plus, she came clean. That’s got to count
for something, right?’

‘I guess,’ sighed Brandon. ‘My
wolf is going nuts inside me without a proper mating. Plus, this whole thing
with Greg just doesn’t add up. Why won’t he answer his phone?’

‘Maybe Marcus has them both? I
just don’t know, Brandon. Let’s ring Logan and see if he’s found anything.’

Logan and Callie had argued for
the whole time it took to get ready for the rescue mission. Logan said she
needed to stay home, but Callie insisted she go and help in case Maggie needed
a female. In the end, it was Hope who joined them, with Callie deciding to stay
and look after the others.

Seth ended the call, bringing
Brandon back from his thoughts.

‘There were a couple of guys who
said they saw a man matching Greg’s description heading towards the old market
town, just north of here. Logan and Hope are going to check it out and see if
there is any activity.’ Seth paused for a moment, looking directly at his
brother. ‘Brandon, when we get her back, you will have to make the decision of
whether you want to trust her and mate with her, or let her go. You need to let
go, either way.’

Brandon knew Seth made sense, but
he still couldn’t get his head around the fact she had put all their lives in
danger, even though she had tried to warn him. Could he learn to trust her?
Hell,
yes
, he thought. Seth was right, he had to let go and accept that she had
been forced into deceiving them in order to survive. He loved her and his wolf
missed its mate. Once he found her, he would
never
let her go again.

‘Let’s meet Logan there,’ he said.
‘I don’t like the idea of my baby sister being anywhere near that creep.’ They
both got back in the truck and headed towards Logan and Hope.

Once they reached the edge of
town, Seth parked the truck out of sight and both brothers quickly ran towards
the back of derelict office blocks where Hope and Logan were hiding out.

‘Hey, guys,’ said Logan, looking
angrily at them. ‘Well, we can definitely say Greg is working for them. I’ve
seen him come in and out of this place a handful of times and talk to the
various pack members.’

‘Shit,’ replied Seth. ‘Are you
sure Greg's not just trying to escape? I can’t believe he would betray us like
that.’ Seth looked hurt, but Brandon’s blood was boiling. He knew something was
wrong from the wedding night when he sensed Maggie’s fear and could smell Greg’s
scent all over her.

‘I should have paid better
attention, damn it!’ Brandon slapped the wall.

‘None of us were to know, Brandon,’
said Seth. ‘He played us all.’

‘No, I mean I knew something was
wrong between him and Maggie the night of your wedding. She brushed me off, but
I wouldn’t mind betting now he was the one Marcus paid to keep her in line. Fuck,
she was so scared, Seth.’ Both his hands had curled into fists, ready for the
fight ahead.

‘Hey, guys,’ said Hope. ‘You need
to stop worrying about it all and go in there and get your girl. I mean, she is
a strong woman, but you can only take so much. Brandon, she is going to need
you after all this.’ She squeezed her brother’s arm, forcing his clenched fists
to release.

‘You’re right, Hope. You know,
some day you’re going to make a fine mate to someone.’ Brandon squeezed her arm
back.

‘No way!’ Hope was shaking her
head as if to emphasise her point. ‘I am not going to fall under some spell and
then have him come rescue me after he’s made a huge mistake. This seems to be a
pattern in this family.’ She smiled at Logan.

‘Hey,’ he replied, ‘I know it
took me a while, but I love Callie. Plus, if your mate ever fucks up, he will
have three very pissed-off brothers to contend with.’

‘Thanks, Logan.’ Hope loved her
family like nothing else and couldn’t ever imagine leaving them to live with
her mate. She wasn’t even sure she wanted a mate after having witnessed her
brothers’ escapades over the last few months. Her parents seemed happy enough, though,
so maybe there was hope that, one day, she would be the one to live happily
ever after. ‘Come on, let’s go talk to Greg.’

‘Hope, please take care,’ urged
Seth. ‘In fact,
all
of you keep your wits about you. If Marcus is here,
then we need to be careful. He is sick and wouldn’t hesitate to kill any of you.’
Seth rounded the corner and started walking towards the building Logan had
pointed out. So far, there was no one about, so he hoped their approach would
go unnoticed.

The only way in seemed to be
through a large, metal door. Once they reached it, Seth indicated to Logan to
go first. Turning the handle, Logan swung the door open and walked inside,
quickly followed by Brandon. The building had at one time been used as offices,
but had been standing empty for a long time.

‘Looks like no one’s here,’
whispered Logan. ‘I last saw Greg not five minutes after you arrived. This
place is huge. We need to cover ground.’

‘I’m not splitting up, Logan.’
Brandon didn’t like the feeling his wolf was giving him. It was as if it knew
something was about to go down.

‘Fine. Come on then.’ They began
to run along a corridor, but soon came to a dead stop when they spotted Greg
and four other wolves sitting at a table in a large room that had, at one time,
been a meeting room.

‘Took your time.’ Greg stood up,
but didn’t make to walk towards them. Brandon couldn’t feel his emotions, which
meant he had well and truly left the pack. ‘Marcus was right. He said you would
come for the whore. I told him you wouldn’t give a fuck after you threw her off
the island, but hey? Guess the mating urge is strong, after all.’

‘What the fuck, Greg? What’s this
about?’ Seth pulled himself to full height and Brandon could tell he was ready
to fight if it came to it.

‘What’s this about?’ repeated
Greg sarcastically. ‘You fucking pricks couldn’t see past your precious family
and island, could you?’ Greg’s whole body was shaking with rage. Brandon had
never seen him so angry. ‘Marcus came to me a few years back, offering me to be
alpha of this pack when he takes his leave. He couldn’t trust Colt, so why the
fuck not?’

‘You don’t just get given the alpha
title,’ replied Seth. ‘It’s not won in some fucking prize.’ He began to walk
closer to Greg and the other wolves. They had now all stood up behind Greg. ‘It’s
something you’re born with,’ continued Seth. ‘Respect from your pack has to be
earned, not passed down.’

‘Right, and I lost my last bit of
respect for you when you tainted our wolf line with that human bitch’s blood.’

‘Careful, Greg,’ said Seth
quietly. ‘You were a good friend once, but you disrespect my mate again and we
will test those boundaries.’

‘You think I’m frightened of you?’
spat Greg. ‘You’re weak compared to Marcus. You will never beat him. We are
strong wolves, whereas you all let yourselves get led around by your dicks and
mated pretty much nothing but whores...’ It was Logan who launched first and
slammed his fist so hard into Greg's face that the sound of crunching bones filled
the air.

‘You ever,
ever
, talk
about my mate again and I’ll snap your neck. Are we clear?’ Logan hauled him up
and threw him back in the chair. ‘Now, one of you is going to tell me where we
can find Maggie. Any bullshit and we will kill you.’

Greg leant over and spat blood on
the floor next to Logan's boot. He smiled up at Logan, looking like the cat who’d
got the cream.

‘She’s holed up with the precious
son, Colt. No telling what he’s doing to her. He is his father’s son, after
all. But then again, I bet Callie learnt a trick or two from her father to keep
you loyal.’

‘You fucking prick…’ Logan
launched again, but this time he changed into his wolf, his deep growl rumbling
off the bare walls. Greg sat back in his chair, looking suddenly very scared. Logan
was a big man, but as his wolf he was terrifying. Brandon needed to find Maggie
quickly if Greg was indeed telling the truth about her and Colt.

‘Where is she, Greg?’ he said. ‘Or
I promise I won’t hold him back from you.’ Brandon hoped Greg would see his
point and tell him what he needed to know. However, before Greg could answer,
one of the wolves standing behind Greg came out and stood before him. He looked
slightly beaten and very thin for a wolf. To Brandon he didn’t look much older
than fifteen.

‘She’s about ten doors down that
corridor,’ said the boy, inclining his head towards the corridor behind them. ‘I’ll
show you.’

‘You fucking idiot,’ shouted Greg.
‘Marcus is going to rip you apart.’

‘I don’t fucking care anymore,’
replied the young wolf. ‘This pack used to be my home, now it’s all poison. I
don’t want any part in all this shit. I just want a home without fear.’

‘What’s your name?’ Seth walked
up to him, ignoring Greg, who was currently being pinned back in the chair by
Logan.

‘Glyn, sir.’ The lad hung his
head as if in shame.

‘Well, Glyn, I’d be glad if you
can help us out.’ Seth started to follow Glyn and Brandon towards the back of
the room, when Greg started remonstrating again.

‘You won’t win this, you know,’
he cried out. ‘Marcus has plans for you all and when he returns he will kill
you all. Starting with your family.’ Greg looked straight at Seth.

‘What about my family? And where
is Marcus?’ Seth pressed towards the traitor.

‘He will rip them all apart
before you even make it home.’

Seth didn’t answer him. Instead,
he turned to the others. ‘Brandon, follow Glyn and get Maggie. Hope, call Mum and
see what’s happening. And Logan…’ Calm had settled over Seth. ‘Kill this sorry
fucker.’ With that, he ran back down the long corridor towards the entrance,
Hope following behind.

As she was running, she pulled
her mobile out and tried calling several numbers.

‘They won’t answer, Seth,’ Hope
cried out to him. ‘Do you think they’re okay?’ She was frantically running behind
him, trying to keep up. ‘Why won’t they pick up?’

‘They’ll be fine, Hope,’ called
out Seth. ‘Greg’s just fucking with us. Get in the truck. I’m going to pull up
against the building so we can get home.
Hurry the fuck up, Brandon
.’ He
voiced his thoughts out loud. The wait for his brother seemed a lifetime, but
he couldn’t abandon them now. He just hoped his family was safe.

Chapter Ten

Brandon heard Greg's screams echo
around him before everything went silent. He shuddered at what had become of
his close friend, but right now he didn’t have time to mourn him. He had to
save Maggie from Colt’s hand.

‘Right, this is the room,’
whispered Glyn. ‘Fuck, Greg has the keys.’ Glyn made to run back, but stopped
when Logan came trotting through, still in wolf form, and dropped the bloody
keys on the floor.

‘Thanks, Logan.’ Brandon grabbed
the keys, whilst Logan kept an eye on Glyn in case this was a trap. Although the
kid looked scared and just plain tired, Brandon doubted he would last another
week let alone be strong enough to fight him and Logan. He placed the key in
the lock and opened the door. He didn’t like what he saw.

Maggie heard the key in the lock
and instinctively placed herself in front of Colt. She wouldn’t let his father
beat him anymore. The man had taken enough. He had been sleeping soundly for a
while now and she hoped he had recovered to help fight them. However, when the
door opened she knew she had to be dreaming, because there stood the one person
she had wished for all this time.

‘Brandon?’ Her voice was no more
than a whisper. Tears instantly pooled in her eyes, but he made no attempt to
move towards her.

‘You okay?’ he asked. ‘Did he
hurt you?’ She noticed his fists were clenched by his side and he was looking
at the bruising on her face, then at the figure lying on the floor behind her.

‘No, it was Greg who punched me.’
She touched her face as if to remember. ‘Colt needs help. He’s been badly
beaten. Can you help me get him out of here?’ She bent down to Colt and Brandon
saw how she ran her fingers down his face. It appeared to him that this woman,
his mate, had already made her bed, and it wasn’t with him. ‘Brandon, please
help him.’

He stared at her. How could he
deny her pleading voice?

‘Shit.’ Brandon walked forward
and looked down at the bruised man. ‘If this is a trick, Maggie, I swear I’ll
kill you both.’ Brandon knew he would never kill her, but he would never again
trust her if she was tricking him. It broke his heart when he saw her wince, as
if she believed his words.

‘Brandon,’ she sobbed, ‘I know
you don’t think much of me, but right now I just want to get out of here. I can’t
leave him here like this, defenceless against the pack. His father would kill
him. Please…’ She lowered her head. She loved Brandon so much, but she knew at
this moment they would never be together, because he didn’t trust her. But he
had
come for her, so maybe there was a spark of hope somewhere down the line.

‘Fine, whatever,’ replied Brandon.
‘Pull the blanket on the floor and I’ll roll him onto it. Logan can drag him
outside.’ Logan made a growling sound that Maggie suspected meant he wasn’t
happy about helping Colt.
Well, too bad
, she thought to herself. He was
possibly the one and only friend she had and she wasn’t about to let him die.

Brandon led the way out of the
room and down the corridor, back the way they had come. As they entered the meeting
room, Maggie heaved at the sight of all the blood, then at Greg’s lifeless body
on the floor surrounded by the others from the pack. She held onto the table to
stop her legs from giving way, but before she could collapse she felt herself
being swung up into strong arms.

‘Don’t look, Maggie. He’s not
worth it.’ Brandon pressed her heard lightly into his chest and rubbed his
thumb against her cheek. Closing her eyes, she let the sensation wash over her.
His strong scent enveloped her and she knew she was safe; never again would he
let Marcus have her. Either way, she was going to get a new life, with or
without Brandon, but hopefully with.

Outside, Brandon carried her all
the way to the truck.

‘Quickly!’ urged Seth. ‘Get in.
We’ve got to move.’

Brandon swung Maggie into the passenger
seat next to Hope. That was when the emotions hit her and, for the first time
since she had left the island, she broke down.

‘Shhh,’ said Hope, cradling her
head in her shoulder. ‘It’s okay, Maggie. We’re going home. You’re coming home.’

‘But Brandon doesn’t want me
there…’ sobbed Maggie.

‘What can I say? My brother can
be a bit slow on the uptake, but it’ll be okay.’ Hope kept Maggie in her arms
as Seth started the engine and began the journey back towards the island.

Colt, still unconscious, had been
placed on the truck bed in the back, with Logan, still in wolf form, and
Brandon. Maggie peered back through the cabin window to check they hadn’t left
Colt there and were getting him to safety.

‘I’m so sorry about everything,
Hope.’ Maggie pulled herself up and was staring out of the front window.

‘Hey, none of that. We need to
get home now, but when you’re settled back in your room we will sit and have a
long chat, okay?’

‘Sure.’ Maggie didn’t want to
return to the island only to have to leave again, but she knew Hope was right. She
needed to let them know how sorry she was before she got on with her new life. A
cell phone rang in Seth’s pocket as he pulled it free and answered.

‘What?’ he said. There was an
urgency in his voice and the two women looked at him anxiously. ‘Wait, Callie, where’s
Sarah? Callie… Wait, slow down. We’re coming.’ Seth threw the phone on the truck
floor. Then, while still driving, he slid the back window of the cabin open.

‘Callie rang to say Dad’s hurt,’
he called out to the two brothers in the back. ‘Marcus is there but I couldn’t
hear her. Fuck!’ He banged the steering wheel so hard that Maggie thought he
was going to break it. ‘Ring Alex. Make sure the boat is this side – we need to
get home quick. Fuck!’